Memorandum on the Future Battlespace submitted
by Paul Beaver
The United Kingdom rightly prides itself on
the professionalism and expertise of its armed forces but cannot
rest on its laurels as we move towards the next millennium.
Doctrine and future operational art are already
being focussed on the future security environment to create a
user-friendly army capable of operating on any battlefieldbut
increasingly in a battlespace to which there are few given dimensions.
There are six significant types of war which
can be expected in the next two decades:
alliance and coalition warfightingthe
fully monty of warfare (there are only two European nations with
the capabilitythe United Kingdom and France; it is worth
remembering that the USA has cut its forces by a third since the
Gulf conflict)
national warfightingprotecting
purely national interests
operations other than warpeacemaking
in Bosnia (Bosnia incidentally is here for a long time if Lebanon
and Cyprus are considered; perhaps an increased role for the TA)
counter-terrorism (non-state forces)Northern
Ireland (in South America, there is no distinction between drug
trafficking and rebel `liberation' movementsColumbia and
Peru)
conflict preventionpeacekeeping
in Cyprus (effective regional peacekeeping forces in Africa will
continue to be and perhaps increase their reliance on US, France
and British training and support
post-conflict activitiessupport
to the Kurds in Northern Iraq.
As US and other NATO forces have been significantly
reduced since 1990by as much as 40 per cent overallto
redress the numbers for serious warfare would require large scale
mobilisation and even greater reliance on reserves.
It is worth noting that NATO allies which during
the Cold War were heavily reliant on NATO reinforcements for home
defence and had no capability to project forces, are now preparing
for Coalition operations. Denmark and Norway are building helicopter-carrying
frigates to support multi-national operations and Finland is now
adopting NATO map marking and planning styles to better integrate
with NATO peacekeeping operations.
Irrespective of these warfare types, the future
battlespace has to move from the late 20th Century industrial
age to the new information ageand move quickly. It will
have the following characteristics:
multi-service dimensionjoint
operations
new technologythere are no
silver bullets
there will be no such thing as an
isolated battle
media attentionthe CNN factor
(or the BBC World factor)
fighting will take place 24 hours
a day in all weathers (British Army TV advert makes this clearall
major battles won by UK forces since 1945 have been at night)
new technologies must allow autonomous
operations (winners in the Gulf were Apache attack helicopters,
MLRS, main battle tanks with term imaging and wide deployment
of Global Positioning System)
new dimensionsdepth: 250km;
altitude: 21,000m
fighting at arm's length.
The future soldierthe future battlespace's
new master will need:
the best affordable equipment
better training to use it
increased responsibility to take
the initiative
first class support at homeschools,
education, spouses
equal opportunity to succeedgender,
sexual orientation
to be technologically literate and
well educated
There are a number of technological priorities:
ISTARintelligence, surveillance,
target acquisition and reconnaissance
command and control, communications
and computers, intelligence and information
defence against chemical weapons
of mass destructionnuclear, biological, chemical
improved lethality of weaponsfirst
pass kill
long-range, precision attack capabilitiesbeyond
visual range
mobilitystrategic and tactical
lift and support
integrated Information Technology.
CONCLUSION
The British Armed Forces will probably fight
as part of a coalition or alliance in future conflicts and must
be ready to stay in the battlespace of days, weeks, months or
even years. In warfighting, it will always be necessary for British
forces to use lethal force and kill others. There is no room for
a dependence on non-lethal weapons and for equipment which better
suits a gendarmerie. The British Army must be professionally trained
and led, well equipped, flexible and ready.
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